The Black Star
by BrokenToy89
Summary: Re-writing and finishing the story. This is a story of Kurohoshi Katsu and her tragic story that leads her to Konoha and Uchiha Sasuke. A story about love, pain and sorrow. How will it end? Chapter 8 up! Read&Review please!
1. Prologue

The wind swept through the Fire country with relentless force, tearing through the trees. The grass, the leaves, the nature danced it's dance. Even though the wind blew fiercely, nature's waltz looked calm and at peace as it swayed back and forth. It was night, the silver moon eluminated the earth with its intense glow. Nature's silence wrapped the village of Konoha in it's embrace. The villagers slept peacefully in their beds, unaware of the unexpected visit soon to come. Unaware that some of their lives soon would change drastically. The soft clicking of boots echoed along the great stone wall surrounding the city as guards patrolled in the night. A small black cat sprang from the shadows and down the streets, searching relentlessly for food in the darkness.

On the wall a guard caugh sight of a shadow in the distance. The small shadow approached slowly, painfully slow. The closer it came the more the moon batrayed the wearer of the shadow. The guard saw a woman, or more acuratly, a girl. Torn clothes rippled in the wind. Her golden blonde hair was stained with blood and mud, as was the rest of her tiny figure. Several open wounds covered her body along with dark bruises. She seemed young, no more than 16. Her body was slinked so low she almost seemed to be crawling. Her hair covered her glossy lifeless eyes and dried lips. The moment she reached the gate all life seemed to leave her and she gave in to the darkness, slowly sinking towards the ground.

The guard signaled to two of his comrades to follow him and they made their way down to the lifeless body by the gate. She was unconcious now, but alive. Her breath was shallow, almost none existant. One of the guards moved to pick her up, but a pair of strong hands beat him to it. He raised the small figure in his arms and silently walked past the guards into the village. They knew who he was, he would make sure she was taken to the medical building and find out who she was. It wasn't safe to take in an outsider, but neither could they ignore the half-dead girl.

The man put the small girl sofly down on a feather bed. Even as gentle as he was the girl opened her eyes for a moment. The glossy blue eyes stared at its rescuer for a small moment, then resigned to darkness once more.


	2. Scars

Chapter 1: Scars

((Katsu POV))

She woke even before she opened her eyes. She felt the soft fabric beaneath her, the clean smell in the air, the silence. Slowly she forced her eyes to lift, they felt heavy like bricks. Still she forced them open with relentless determination. Her body was hers to command, but it seemed as if it had forgotten how to as she struggled. The light hit her with an intense glare, but she continued to force her eyelids to listen to her. Soon her eyes adjusted to the light and she could see white through her hazed and unfocused eyes. She felt an light-headed and confused as she stared at what she realized was a ceiling. Her body ached, and she could feel the soft bandages that covered her skin. Her mind started adjusting along with her eyes, becoming clearer. She was badly hurt, but recovering she realized. The pain still lingered, not wanting to let go just yet, even with the sedatives she knew she had in her body. She could feel the numbness throughout her body.

In a slow process she lifted her aching arms and painfully pushed her body into a sitting position on the bed. Where was she? She wondered silently. She couldn't remember a thing, her life felt like a large black hole. She pocked and proded her head for any kind of memory, but it was all in vain. All she saw was a small flash of a memory. Was it even a memory? All she saw was silver. More questions crawled into her mind. Why was she in pain? What was still place? How had she ended up here? She felt hollow.

Her slim fingers moved to the sheet that covered her body and slowly pulled it aside. Her eyes looked down at her battered body, she was still bruised, but it was healing, fading. How long had she been here? Slowly she once again pushed her body until she sat on the edge of the bed. Her teeth clenched involuntarly as she moved, the pain flashing through her body like a bolt of lightning. The pain didn't stop her though, she wanted to know what was going on. She needed answers.

As her feet touched the ground she could feel the weakness in them. Her body was so numb she could hardly feel them at all. She took a painful breath and steadied her feet on the ground, using her arm and shoulder against the wall to keep from falling. Slowly she dragged one foot forward, then the other. Her face twisted in pain with every step. Her body wasn't used to the simple movements anymore, she would have had to have been in bed for several weeks to be this weak and frail.

One more step. Suddenly her legs gave in and she fell. She braized herself for the pain, but it never came. Instead she felt a pair of strong hands lifting her up gently. She blinked, confussed. Her eyes lifted from the ground and up. Silver. She stared silently at the man that had saved her from falling. Her eyes shifted from his silver her down to the forehead protector, then further down to a mask half his face. Who was he? She thought, as he gently put her back in bed.

"Finally awake I see."

His voice was soft, but rough and deep. She could see a smile form underneath the fabric covering his face. He had sleek features, strong jaw and grey colorless eyes. He seemed friendly. She tilted her head curiously as she stared at the man, a silent question filled the air.

She watched him as he leaned against the wall by her bed. Her head hurt by the chaos of questions that filled her mind. as if by a queue the man spoke again.

"Hatake Kakashi. Konoha Shinobi," he introduced himself. She could feel his eyes studying her, studying her reaction. She didn't move though, her face staring blankly back at him. "You've been sleeping for about 2 weeks now. I wouldn't move around so much if I was you, your body isn't used to it." It almost sounded as if he was scolding her, as a father would towards his unruly daughter.

"I - -" Her cracked lips parted, but closed again. The pain seered through her as she swallowed. "I don't remember. Why - - I - -" she trailed off. Her voice was tembling, every word seem to burn her throat. She felt utterly exhausted as she looked at the strange man, her eyes couldn't focus anymore and felt heavier and heavier by the second.

"The med-nin told me you have suffered a bad memory loss, you've got a bad concussion," he explained. "He said you'll probably get your memory back when you've healed proparly." He put his hands in his pockets, pushing himself from the wall with his leg. "I need to get back to work," he finally said, looking at her for a second before turning to leave.

"W - - Wait!" She struggled as she tried to raise her voice to more than a hoarse whisper, it felt as if her throat was being ripped apart. "I don't want to be alone..." She whispered, tears streaking her pale face. Even crying was painful.

He stopped at the door, then turned around. Without a seconds hesitation he walked back to the side of her bed and sat down on the chair there. Her body seemed to relax, the tension disappearing. She felt comfortable. She didn't know this Hatake Kakashi, but the way he talked and looked at her, he didn't seem like a bad person. And, she didn't want to be alone now, she didn't want to feel lonely, not now.

"Thank you," she whispered as her eyes slid close and she let sleep embrace her.

He stayed with her through the night, not leaving her side, not sleeping. He just watched her peaceful expression as she slept. His face was blank, his eyes revealed the strange compassion he had for the girl though. He didn't know who she was, or where she had come from. Yet, he felt strangely protective over her. He knew he was being a fool, but he wanted to protect this strange small girl, who seemed so lost and confused.

The next couple of days Kakashi came to visit her when he found the time. They talked. Or, Kakashi talked while she listened, she had nothing to talk about, she still couldn't remember a thing. He made her forget that though, he made her laugh and smile. Since she couldn't remember her name he started calling her Katsu, telling her that it suited her. She liked it, it was a strong and powerful name, so she kept it.

2 more weeks passed and she was finally released from the hospital. Kakashi had arranged for a place for her to live and got her some new clothing to wear. Her memory was still locked somewhere deep in her mind, but she felt happy. The med-nin had told her that time would heal her mind and she would start remembering, and that something might trigger her memories. What would trigger them, none of them knew, but Katsu didn't care. She was happy.

As Kakashi helped her get settled in her new apartment he told her he would take her with him to Team 7's next training session. Katsu knew a lot about his three former students, he had talked about them often when she was still in the hospital. She wanted to met them, but she couldn't help feel a little sad. They had such a strong bond to each other, she envied them for it. Never the less, she was excited to meet the people who was so important to Kakashi.


	3. Memories

Chapter 2: Memories

(Sasuke POV)

Uchiha Sasuke had always been an early riser, and today was no different. He woke early as always, and as always fell into his normal morning routine. He took a short cold shower, letting the cold water waken his senses and get rid of the drowsiness. Afterwards he dressed himself all in black, although he didn't have any missions for the Anbu today, he felt like wearing the black. The Uchiha clan symbol was printed on the back of his shirt.

When he was finished eating the simple breakfast he made for himself, he headed out to meet with the team. He was early, but it was a nice day so he felt good while he walked silently towards where they had arranged to meet up. While walking his thoughts drifted to the news Kakashi had told them the day before.

Appearently Kakashi was bringing a girl with him, seeing as Sakura was on a mission and couldn't join them, he thought he'd bring this girl along. What was her name again... He couldn't remember, but it was uninteresting to him, so he didn't care. Sasuke had heard a few weeks back that Kakashi had found a girl outside Konoha's gate. No one knew who she was or where she had come from. What was the man thinking? Bringing an outsider into the village was bad enough, but letting her train with them... It was too absurd.

The girl was appearently around 16 or 17 from what Kakashi had guessed, but they couldn't really be sure since she had no memories. Or so she said. Why they hadn't left her to the interigation squad to look inside her head was beyond him. He didn't like the situation at all. Why was a little brat joining them? It was bad enough he had to deal with lovesick Sakura for so many years.

Sasuke had grown a lot through the years. He had been taken into the ANBU a few years ago, and was now one of the top elites. Naruto had also joined him as a ANBU and Sakura was Godaime's personal left hand; which was the reason she was gone on a mission at the moment. Konoha had been pretty peaceful for some time now. Akatsuki and his brother was still out there somewhere, but they had lain low for a couple of years now, no one had heard any news about them. That was the reason why they were meeting up to train, because of the peace there were less missions to deal with. He had to admit he liked the team and he did feel a sort of brotherly bond with Narutp, although he would never admit that to anyone. Never.

He finally reached the bridge where they were supposed to meet. No surprise, he was the first one to arrive. He crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned against the railing, his eyes closed as he waited. Maybe he had changed a little, but he still had that arrogant and cold exterior as he had always had. It was who he was, he couldn't just change that. Of course, he still had the fan club; who believed his cold personality was just him playing hard to get.

His fan club. The thought almost made him sigh. He was so tired of the girls throwing themselves at him. Didn't they have any dignity? It was nothing more than pathetic to him. Honestly, he didn't have any particular feelings towards any of the woman in the village, other than sexual desires of course. They were only good for one-night stands and casual dates. They bored him beyond belief

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke groaned silently as he heard the familiar voice of his blonde idiot teammate. It was too early in the morning to be that cheerful, but that was Naruto for you, he never changed.

"Yo dobe," he greeted Naruto as he joined him. Sasuke still wasn't the most talkative type. That wasn't to say that he didn't talk to people, he just didn't like empty small talk. He only felt like talking if he had something to say.

He looked up and studied Naruto, who was practically bouncing up and down. He was still the same after all these years. You would never believe that he was 20 years old, even if you knew him well. Sasuke guessed that some people just never grew up. Yet, Naruto was his friend, despite the frequent arguements they got into.

"I wonder who she is," Naruto started his usual endless chatting, even though he knew he wouldn't get much respons from Sasuke. "The girl I mean. I heard that Kakashi caught her falling from the sky, just like an angel..." Naruto continued spouting out the different versions of gossip he had heard, but Sasuke wasn't even listning anymore, his eyes was focused on the road.

He knew they were coming even before his eyes spotted them. He could hear her laughter as she and Kakashi got closer. With one glance he saw that he had been right about her being a small brat. She looked thin and small, scars still covering her tiny figure. He had to admit, reluctantly, that she wasn't exactly ugly though. She had a certain natural beauty about her. It was obvious that she didn't wear and make-up or unnesecary clothing to try to impress people. Her long blonde hair flew in every direction and it didn't seem like she had bother combing through it either. Her skin was tanned and her eyes a deep blue color. But, she was still a little girl and he was still not happy about her joining them.

"Good morning Sasuke. Naruto," Kakashi greeted them when the two got closer. They were all comrades now, not teacher and students. Their relationship had become much more relaxed now than before. "This is Katsu-chan, she'll join us for training today."

Katsu stepped forward, a smile playing on her thin lips.

"Nice to meet you Katsu-chan!" Naruto beamed at the blonde girl. What an idiot... Sasuke thought to himself as he watched the exchange. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto."

"Uchiha Sasuke," he introduced himself coldly, not even looking at her.

"Nice to meet you Uzumaki-san and Uchiha-san," Katsu said politly with a sweet smile. She wasn't very shy he noted as the girl threw herself into an exciting conversation with Naruto.

Sasuke used the moment to study her more closely. She had delicate movements, and she didn't look like she was much bothered about the way she looked. She hadn't tried to cover up the ugly scars with make-up, and her clothes were simple and not too revealing.

"Alright you two," Kakashi adressed Katsu and Naruto to quiet them down. "Let's start with a little game." He moved his hand out of his pocket to reveal two small bells. "I hope you've learned something these past years."

Sasuke pushed himself off the railing, he was ready for this. It was always fun to go up against Kakashi and his little games. He knew very well that Naruto was also excited about this. They were both a lot more experienced and generally better than they were last time. He did have his doubts about Katsu though, she wouldn't be able to keep up. Well, no matter, he and Naruto could handle this fine without her.

"You just have to take one of the bells from me," Kakashi explained to a confused Katsu. "There are no rules, just try your best to keep up. Sasuke and Naruto will help you as much as they can."

Sasuke had the sudden urge to roll his eyes, even though it wasn't a natural thing for him to do. He surpressed the urge though. He couldn't understand why in the world he had to help this little thing, couldn't she just stand on the side lines? They would do better without her there to drag them down.

"Hai," Katsu said with a excited grin.

Atleast she looked ready, Sasuke surmised. He noticed she had a confidence about her, a lot like himself, yet that didn't change the fact that she was unexperienced and a thorn in his side.

The three of them moved to a hiding spot in the forest, away from Kakashi's ears. Sasuke stood for most of the strategy planning, while Naruto pitched in now and then. Katsu just listened carefully to every word they said.

"Got it?" Sasuke finally asked, and got nods from both in return. It was time to take down Kakashi. He had given Katsu a small part in the plan, just to satisfy Kakashi, who he knew would be mad if he let her out of the plan.

"Let's go!"

Sasuke hid near Kakashi in the bushes. He was crouched down and watched his former teacher closely. As usual, he wasn't showing any openings, not even while he read the orange smut book. It wouldn't be long before the first strike, it was Naruto first.

Sasuke watched as four figures emerged from the water, four copies of Naruto. They flew towards Kakashi, who didn't seem to bother to look up. Kakashi didn't look up from his book even once while he fought the four clones. It took him a little time, but soon the last clone puffed up in white smoke. It was time for the surprise. Suddenly Naruto shot up from the ground, barely gracing Kakashi's face. Kakashi had stepped a foot backwards to avoid the attack. But he didn't know that it wasn't a attack just a theft. Naruto had grabbed the orange book and was gone in a second.

"Can't fight while reading, Sensei!" Naruto's laughing voice echoed through the forest, there was no way of hearing where it came from, because it came from everywhere. Now it was Katsu's turn. "Don't mess this up..." Sasuke whispered to himself as he watched carefully.

Katsu approached Kakashi from behind him. He hadn't noticed her yet, he was just standing there. She could sneak, that was for sure. Sasuke though to himself. He was only hoping she wouldn't mess things up. She was standing few inches from Kakashi and he still hadn't heard or sensed her presence. Sasuke was surprised, even he couldn't sneak up on Kakashi.

Reaching out for one of the bells her hand was caught just before touching them. Kakashi had noticed the small breeze she had given as she had moved her hand. Sasuke threw three shurikens towards Kakashi, while he was concentrated on Katsu, a look of shock clearly showed on his old sensei's face. Then he flung forward, the stars had of course missed, easy enough to dodge for Kakashi. Katsu brought her foot down and knocked Kakashi off his feet.

Kakashi got up fast, but he already had the three of them surrounding him. The two boys launched forward and entered into a hand-to-hand combat. This was Katsu's chance. Sasuke could see her sneak forward, but just before she was to grab the bells she froze.

What was going on? There was something wrong with her, he could see it in her eyes. She had a look of complete horror. "Naruto." Sasuke yelled at his friend. "Hai." Naruto answered, knowing what Sasuke wanted. "Kage bunshin-no-jutsu!" Naruto yelled and several clones appeared entering the battle. This was the only thing Sasuke needed, he found a opening and manage to grab the bells from Kakashi's belt. The fight was over.

"Something's wrong with her," he said calmly, trying not to show how tired he was from the fight. It was Kakashi they were fighting after all and he was more experienced, that ontop of the sharingan in his eye made Kakashi a dangerous man to fight.

"Katsu-chan. What's wrong?" Naruto's voice was filled with concern as he ran over to the girl who still stood there were streaming down her face and she had a dangerous look in her eyes.

Sasuke watched as her hands suddenly started moving, she was doing a jutsu, advanced jutsu, he had never seen the signs she was doing. "Kurohoshi-no-jutsu!" She yelled out and suddenly a black cloud enveloped around the three men.

Sasuke panicked, a feeling he didn't like at all, he couldn't see, he couldn't hear anything else, the only thing he could see was a light, like a star. He started to walk towards the light, it was so alluring, he couldn't help himself. He felt drawn to it. He could hear a scream, someone was screaming and the dark dissolved. He could see and hear again.

He looked around. Naruto and Kakashi were close to him, they were standing not far from a cliff. They had almost fallen. What was going on? He asked himself again. He looked for Katsu, she was laying on the ground, sobbing to herself. What had happened to her?

"She's getting her memory back." Kakashi noted in a concerned voice. "I'll get her back to her apartment, you guys continue training, I'll be back soon." Then he was off, carrying Katsu in his arms. It was obvious he felt some sort of compassion for the girl.

Sasuke looked at Naruto. They didn't talk to each other about what had just happened. They just ignored it and continued their training, they were both shook up about it, but they would never admit it. Katsu was a girl and beside, she was younger. But that had been a powerful jutsu never the less. Sasuke made a mental note to see her later, he wanted to know what was going on.

The two of them finished training a little earlier than originally planned. Sasuke couldn't shake off the feeling of something being terribly wrong with Katsu and it was distracting him. Kakashi had never showed up after bringing Katsu back to the apartment, but that wasn't something new too them, they were used to him disappearing on his own.

Later

Sasuke stood outside Katsu's apartment, debating with himself if it was a good idea or not. She was just a kid after all, and he didn't know her, why should he care? Yet, that jutsu was bothering him, he had never seen anything like it. He raised his hand and knocked on the door. There was no answer. He knocked again, a little harder this time. Nothing. He knew she was in there. Maybe something was wrong?

His hand went to the handle and the door clicked open. Why was he doing this? He wondered. That girl was nothing to him. Never the less, he moved inside the apartment. He didn't see her anywhere. Deciding to leave he turned, but a scream stopped him in his tracks. He moved further into the room and found the bedrrom, the door was glitched slightly open and he could her heavy painful breathing inside the bedroom.

Without knowing why he walked straight into the bedroom and found her sitting on the bed. She was shaking terribly, her breath was heavy and stressed and she was covered in sweat. He watched her clutch her head, burrying her nails in her forehead, while clenching her teeth. She looked as if she was in excrutiating pain. When she heard him she lifted her head and looked straight at him, tears in her eyes. The pain was so obvious in her eyes.

"I - -" she seemed to be struggling to talk. Another escrutating scream left her, and she sobbed quietly, her eyes closed. "I - - Help them - - So much pain - -" She sobbed, her voice shaking as much as her body. He didn't know if she registrered that it was him, when she had looked at him it was as if she had seen right through him, as ig he wasn't even there.

An uncontrollable urge made him move closer to her. He had experienced so much pain himself when his parents and clan was murdered by his brother. He wasnted to comfort her, no one had been there when he had nightmares as a child.

Slowly he sat down on the bed, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close to him. She let him. Her head dug into his shoulder, her hands clutched his shirt, and she sobbed quietly against him. Sasuke sat like that the whole night, holding her close to him. He couldn't sleep. She would drift in and out of sleep, sometimes with a scream, other times with just a look of complete horror on her face. When morning finally arrived his eyes closed and he fell asleep as well.


	4. Shades of Blue

Chapter 3: Shades of Blue

((Katsu POV))

Katsu stirred in her bed as sharp rays of sunlight hit her face. She opened her eyes, staring at the wall, the memories of last nigh coming back to her. She had been in such pain, yet it wasn't her pain, someone elses pain haunted her memories. Then Sasuke had showed up out of no where, she hardly remembered him coming to her. He had stayed all night. A shiver ran through her body as she remembered the unbearable pain. The screams of her memories echoed in her head over and over. She didn't want to remember.

Slowly she moved out of the bed, slipping out of Sasuke's arms, careful not to wake him. Why was he here? He didn't know her, and definatly didn't owe her anything. So why had he come? She had noticed when she greeted him that he was one of those arrogant boys, who didn't think about anything other than sex. He only wanted one thing from her. But she be damned if she was going to give it to him. She hated the way he had looked at her, like she was some small child trying to play with the grown ups.

The next hour she spent in the shower. Letting the sweat, the tears and the horrible memories from last night wash off her. The warm water felt good against her skin. The smell of Sasuke also washed away with everything else. She could finally relax and forget.

She dressed quickly, letting her hair stay wet. It was summer and it would dry soon enough anyway. She needed to get out of the apartment, fast. She had to find Kakashi, he was the onlyone she felt she could really talk to. Knowing him, she knew where to find him this early in the morning. While she was in the hospital recovering he had told her about his close friend and comrade that he had lost during a mission. The boy who had given him the Sharingan.

She had another reason for leaving the apartment as well; she didn't want to be there when Sasuke woke. She didn't want to talk to him. He had seen her in one of her most vulnerable moment, while she had been in an utter mess. She didn't like the fact that he had just walked right into her apartment either. Why had he been there in the first place? Her anger was building up inside her as she continued to think about the arrogant man sleeping in her bed.

"Kakashi!"

Katsu yelled out as she spotted her friend at the memorial stone. He was croutched infront of it, just staring at the stone with an emotionless face. She had no doubts about what was going through his mind, the pain of losing a close friend at such a young age had to be horrible. She didn't understand his pain, it was a different pain than her own, she knew that much. She knew better than to interregate him about it, she wouldn't like it very much herself, so she had let him tell her about it in his own time.

He turned to face her, a smile hiding under the mask. "Katsu-chan. How are you feeling?" He asked her, his voice was friendly, but she knew he was concerned about her. He didn't want to upset her, and she knew she could avoid the question easily, but she wanted to tell him.

"Better," she reassured him with a smile. "I kept remembering the same stuff, but I can't put the pieces together, it's too vague. The only thing I know for sure is that there was a lot of pain." Her face darkend a little at the thought of it. She didn't want to remember! She had been happy. Suddenly, as if struck by lightning, something from her memories popped up. "My last name is Kurohoshi," she blurted in a surprised voice. It had come to her so suddenly.

He studied her quietly, before getting up to stand. "I know," he finally said, a sad look on his face.

"What - -" Her eyes widened as she looked at him. "How?" She hadn't even known until this moment, how could he knew? She felt confused.

"That jutsu you accidently preformed yesterday," he hesitated a second before continuing. "It's a rare one. The only ones who knew the secret of it was the Kurohoshi Clan. I couldn't find much refrence to it, but even within the clan only a handful of people knew how to do it," he explained. "The thing is," he hesitated again, sighing. "The entire Kurohoshi Clan was murdered 2 years ago. They never found the killer."

Suddenly it all made sense; she had been there. When her family was murdered, she had seen them die. It was as if time had frozen. It all seemed a lot clearer now; the screaming, the dreams, everything. She had been there when it happened, she had seen it, she had heard it and felt it.

Not being able to stop the tears, they started streaming down her face. She couldn't stop the overwhelming feeling she suddenly experienced,. The grief, the pain and guilt for still living. She felt weak.

Her feet seemed to give in under hear and she fell to her knees. She hadn't even noticed Kakashi moving, but now he was beside her, pulling her into his arms. Their relationship had never been anything else than that of a sister and brother, or even father and daughter. There was no physical attraction, only compassion and love. It was complex in some ways, but very simple to Katsu. She trusted him.

She let her tears flow freely as she burried herself in his chest. She let all the sorrow just seep out of her. It felt good, somehow. It felt good to know and finally come to peace with it. Little did she know that was only the beginning of terrible nightmares and unpredictable flashbacks.

"Katsu-chan," Kakashi whispered softly in her ear. "I want you to be able to control the power within you, so I'll send you on a mission with someone who can help. You're strong, one day you'll be great." He let her go and looked into her eyes, studying her.

She gave a nod, she had known it would come to this. "Who?" was the only question she asked as she dried the tears on her sleeve.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

Later the same day

Why was she suprised? She should have known. Sasuke might no be the best, but he was more serious and had an amazing control over his emotions. Tch. More likely he didn't have any emotions, She thought despiteful. She knew Kakashi had no time to baby sit her himself, and besides, he had done enough for her allready. She didn't want to trouble him anymore. And Naruto wasn't even an option, athough he was a cool guy, he was far to irresponsible and knew nothing about how to teach control.

Sliding a hand through her hair, Katsu sighed. She was sitting on top of the railing on the bridge where she had met Sasuke and Naruto the other day. She was supposed to meet Sasuke there, and of course he was late. She wasn't looking forward to this at all. Honestly, she wasn't easily annoyed or angered, but he seemed to push every button she had every time he looked at her. She hated his attitude.

They were going to do an escort mission, from what Kakashi had told her. Nothing too big. They just needed to escort some high and mighty Lord to Wave country. A Lord Fukushima appearently. He patience was wearing thinner by the minute. What was it with these guys and being late? She felt offended by it, for some reason.

"Katsu?"

Hearing her name pulled her out of her own thoughts and she looked up to see Sasuke standing in front of her. Seeing him only made her anger worse, and he was standing too close to her. Who did he think he was? She gave him a hard push to make him move and jumped down from the railing. She walked towards the gate without saying a word, expecting him to follow her.

"You're late," she pointed out as he caught up to her, her voice was cold and not very different from the way he usually spoke.

Sasuke appearenly hadn't expected the cold tone in her voice and seemed a little taken by surprise. "Sorry," he muttered after a moment. He didn't explain himself, but she wasn't looking for an explanation either.

(Sasuke POV)

They had been walking for a while now. The sky was starting to darken, as the sun lowered itself behind the mountains. Katsu hadn't said a word to him since they started walking, she only chatted away friendly with Lord Fukushima; who was an elderly man. Because of the Lord they had to walk at a slow pace, which only made things worse.

He was sulking a little he knew. Every time he tried to say anything she would give him the 'death glare' and look away stubbornly. Sasuke was going crazy, for once he couldn't take the silende, atleast not her cold attitude towards him. What in the world had he done that had made her this mad? It couldn't be because he had been late, it had to be something else, but what?

He was honestly afraid to talk to her, it was a different side of her he hadn't expected. She had suddenly put a solid brick wall around her feelings, or at least that was the only explanation he could come up with. If this continued the entire way to the Wave country he would go insane.

"We should make camp for the night," he said carefully, trying to sound like his normal careless self, but failed. This girl was driving him crazy. She was different than the other girls he knew, and she was getting to him. He was experiencing a feeling he had never felt before. He couldn't tell if it was lust or love, or even hate because she was rejecting him so obvisouly.

"Fukushima-san, we are making camp," Katsu turned to the Lord, ignoring him completely. "We'll put up the tent for you, sit down and rest some." Her voice was sweet and friendly as she talked, and the Lord thanked her grateful to be off his feet. When she turned to Sasuke she once again gave him a deadly glare.

Katsu started on the tent while he made a fire. He had some soup they could make for dinner. While eating they had not spoken a word to each other. Sasuke constantly looked up at Katsu, but she didn't show any sign of noticing him. It was obvious she was ignoring him. What had he done? He groaned to himself, frustrated.

After dinner the Lord bid them good night and went to sleep in the tent, leaving them alone in front of the fire. Sasuke took the chance to find out what was going on. He wanted, no, he needed to know what he had done to piss her off.

"Katsu," He said calmly, watching her carefully for a reaction. "What did I do?"

"Nothing."

"Then why are you ignoring me?" He asked her, looking straight at her, trying to catch her gaze. He failed. She refused to look at him.

There was a long silence. It seemed to him like she was contempleting if she should answer him or not. She was hesitating. He knew there had to be something wrong. It couldn't just be nothing. Why was she hesitating?

"You walked straight into my apartment, into my bedroom! What right do you think you have to do something like that? I could have dealt with it myself. I don't need your pity! I don't need anyone to protect me, least of all you!" The words flew out of her mouth like an explosion and took him completely off guard. "You arrogant prick!"

Her face was red, She was really angry he realized. Last night he had just wanted to comfort her, he didn't think she would react this way to it. "I was worried," he finally answered. It was true, he had been worried about her. Why he had felt that way was beyond him, but it was true. It was the only explanation he could give.

"Tch. Give me a break!" She snorted. "You hardly know me, I hardly know myself!" Her eyes lifted and for the first time met his gaze. Her eyes showed anger, but what surprised him was how black they were. The blue color was so deep and dark it gave an illusion of being black. But, there was a sort of spark in them. A small light, like a single star on the black night sky.

As quick as her rage had spilled out it went away, and was replaced by a saddened look as she looked away. He could only guess what she was thinking. Most likely she had remembered something new, he had no doubts that her memories were even worse than his.

"Katsu," he asked as calmly as he could manage. He was still a little shocked about her outburst. "Did you remember something?"

She sat in silence for a while, not hesitating, just thinking. "Yeah," she finally answered, her voice barely a whisper. "I remember who my family was..."

Was? He stared at her. She had lost her family... Just like him? He knew how she felt then, he knew how it was to lose your family, to watch them die. "Please, tell me," he almost pleaded, he had the sudden feeling of wanting to know more about her.

"I was born into the Kurohoshi Clan."

"The shinobi of the Black Star," he mumbled softly to himself. He had heard about them, there were few who hadn't. The mass murder had been a tragedy, one even greater than when the Uchiha clan was murdered by his brother. The Kurohoshi clan was one of the most powerful clan's in the Star country, maybe the most poweful in all the 5 great countries. The Star countries Hoshikage was a Kurohoshi. But they had been a peaceful people, rarely involving themselves in wars if not directly threatened. It was unthinkable that one person could kill them all.

"I'm the last one."

He could see her lips tremble, she was struggling not to cry. He felt a need to hold her, protect her from harm. Which was utterly ridicules in itself, she was right, he didn't know her, he didn't know who she really was. So why was he feeling this way?

"You're different than any other girl I've ever met," he finally said after an awkward silence. He needed to get it out. He didn't know how to handle the feelings inside him, he had never felt this way before.

"Don't," she looked up at him, looking him straight in the eyes. "Just don't. I know everything about you Uchiha Sasuke." Her eyes seemed hollow, the sadness and weakness was gone. "I know what happened to your family. You'r brother. I know about the life you've been living up until now, every move you've ever made."

Sasuke looked at her startled. How did she know? Who had told her? Naruto maybe, or maybe even Kakashi? "How - - " He started, but she cut him off.

"You know, Konoha's ANBU aren't that good at keeping a watch over their members personal information. I know about you. Uzumaki-kun. Kakashi. Even the pink haired girl." She paused for a moment thinking. "What was her name again. Ah, Haruno Sakura, that's it."

Sasuke noticed that something in Katsu's face haf changed, a darkness he had never seen before seemed to creep over her sharp features.

"I know you would never admit this. But I know you secretly love the attention, the girls worshiping the ground you walk on. Now that you've found someone that seem to be untouched by your dark charms you see it as a challenge, finally someone to conquer."

Katsu rose to her feet, turning away from him. "You disgust me," she sneered and walked away into the forest.

Sasuke was in complet shock as he watched her stalk away. A girl had just told him off. Really told him off too. It had never happened before. Strangely enough, he didn't feel angry. It was a strange feeling being rejected. He had never even though about the chance that someone would reject him. Maybe she was right. Maybe he just wanted her because he wanted what he couldn't have. She was so different, so strong and independent. She didn't do anything to try to catch his attention, she never had.

Looking back on the day before she had ignored him then too. It dawned on him then that he really did want her, badly. Somehow he saw her in a different light.

((Katsu POV))

Katsu made her way through the forest. She had to get away. She was struggling to keep her composure when she was around him, it was even harder to keep the hollow look on her face. She knew what she had said, but she didn't know how she truly felt about him. She was confused. He was stirring something in her, but she couldn't accept it.

Suddenly she lifted her head looking around her. Her instincts told her someone was near, someone other than Sasuke. Her instincts screamed danger, but she kept calm and sat down on the nearest stone. She knew where they were, strangely enough she knew she could take them down. She waited. Then they attacked...

(Sasuke POV)

Startled Sasuke sprang to his feet as a high pitched scream reached his ears. He was on the move even before the scream could die out. Katsu was in trouble. Yet he couldn't feel the presence of anyone else than her around, and hers was weak. He panicked for the first time in his life. He couldn't let her get hurt, he just couldn't.

He found her in the clearing, the moon lighting the scene for him. There was blood everywhere. She just sat there, looking at her hands. She looked strangely eerie in the moonlight, her blond her shining. She sat there quietly, silent as the grave. Five dead ninjas were laying on the ground infront of her.

It took him a little while to get over the shock of seeing the dead fully grown men and her alive. She didn't seem to be harmed. She had taken on five men on her own? From what it looked like, the men weren't some inexperienced guys either. They were skilled, he could see as much, and she killed them all.

He slowly made his way to her side. "Katsu," he almost whispered, crouching down beside her. His hand reached out to touch her shoulder. As if his touch brought her back to reality she looked up, blinking, almost surprised to see him. Her eyes left him and lingered on the dead bodies in front of her.

"I'm fine," she finally said and scrambled to her feet with great effort. He reached out to help her, but she pushed him away. Then her legs gave away beneath her and he quickly scooped her up into his arms. "I'm fine," she protested and tried to get out of his grasp.

"No, your not," he said coolly and ignored her feeble attemps of escaping him. He turned his back to the dead men and headed back to their camp. She struggled in the beginning, but soon resigned and lay limp in his arms.

"Sasuke," she said his name in such an insecure tone. He saw her bite her lips lightly as she hesitate to go on. "I'm sorry," she finally said. It was the first time she had said his name. He felt strangly happy for a moment.

"For what?" He asked in an unusual soft voice that even surprised him.

"For everything." She paused again. "Last night - - I - - I didn't really thank you. I don't know if I could have managed to get through the night if you hadn't been there. Thank you," she repeated softly. Her eyes were downcast as she said it. Then she looked up at him, and into his eyes. Their eyes were the same, he realized. Dark.

He stared back at her, not breaking the eye contact. He was trying to put his head around her, she seemed to show new sides of herself every time she spoke. He hadn't even known her for more than 3 days even. Could one woman really be this unpredictable?

Sasuke stopped, they were back at the camp. He slowly lowered her onto her feet, but didn't let go of her waist, incase her legs gave in again. They were standing close, really close, and she wasn't pushing him away. She just watched him.

"Are you just going to star, or kiss me already?" She asked finally, a hint of a sly grin forming on her lips.

Taken back by her directness he couldn't help but gape at her for a moment. Just a while back she had basically told him she hated him, and now she wanted him to kiss her. Honestly, he didn't understand this girl.

"What makes you think I would want to do that?"

"Well, then I guess you could just let go of me - -" she made a move to walk away from him, but he grabbed her arm and dragged her back into his arms. "Wh - -" She started, but was silenced by his lips pressing against hers.

He had kissed girls before, of course, but somehow this felt different. It was as if their lips fit perfectly together. He felt himself get unusually aroused by just one kiss. What was wrong with him? He was acting weak, stupid even. Yet, he couldn't deny his own feelings; he loved her.


	5. Now or Never

Chapter 4: Now or Never

(Sasuke POV)

The rest of the mission went without a glitch, they safely escorted the Lord and headed back to Konoha. They took their time on the way back though. Sasuke tried to teach Katsu how to be more in control of herself, by not letting her flashbacks and instinct take over. At night they lay side by side, watching the sky above. Sasuke had never felt so happy, it was a strange feeling.

They returned to Konoha after being gone for a week. Godaime let them have a day off before they would join Naruto and Kakashi again. But also, so Sasuke could give his report of the mission. By the time they went to meet up with Naruto and Kakashi the whole town knew about their relationship and those who knew Sasuke could see the change in him. People stared at them everywhere they went, more because of the smile that seemed to be plastered on Sasuke's lips all the time. It wasn't a common sight.

Both of them ignored the stares though. And Katsu didn't seem to be bothered by the ugly glares she was getting from the young girls of the village. They were happy. Sasuke felt his feelings grow even more day by day, as he got to know her even better.

They sat together, waiting for the other two to join them on the bridge where they had first met a little over a week ago. Sasuke sat on the railing, while Katsu stood in front of him, his arms wrapped around her neck. They didn't have to wait long for Naruto to join them.

"Woah," Naruto exclaimed when he saw them. "It's really true, you guys are dating?" He was talking loudly, but for once it didn't bother Sasuke that much. He knew Naruto had never really seen him date someone before, and even he caught himself being surprised by everything now and then. "Good you Sasuke," Naruto grinned as he punched him in the shoulder.

"Shut up, dobe," Sasuke said coldly. He felt an elbow hit his stomach, and looked down on Katsu. She gave him a look that told him to be nicer. "Fine," he muttered and heared her laugh softly to herself.

He couldn't help but smile as he heard her laughter. It seemed like he was smiling a lot lately, which was really unlike him, but for once it didn't feel unnatural. He had something to smile about after all. "How's Hinata doing?" He asked the mopping Naruto, who had gone silent when he saw Sasuke smile.

Naruto got unnatural serious suddenly. "She id getting bigger and bigger," he complained. "Eating more than me! I never thought one woman could eat so much food. And she id constantly complaining about small things," he groaned, but then a huge grin appeared. "Only one more month until the baby is due."

"Never understood why they let Naruto multiply."

Everyone turned to face the newcomer, it was of course Kakashi. "Yo, long time no see! How are you feeling Katsu-chan?" Kakashi as softly while he studied her.

"I'm fine," she answered, reassuring him with a smile. "I haven't had any nightmares or flashbacks in days now. Can't say I'm complaining really.

"That's good. Well, why don't you and Naruto go and do some training. The first to bleed loses," he looked from Katsu to Naruto, who were both grinning. "Only fists and weapon combat, no tricks," he said strictly to the both of them. "Loser buys lunch!"

"Alright!" Naruto exclaimes excitedly. "Ready Katsu-chan?"

"Yep," she answered and untangled herself from Sasuke. She gave him a quick kiss before joining Naruto on the training grounds. Sasuke and Kakashi both looked after them as the two hurried away.

"So," Kakashi turned to Sasuke. "What happened on the mission?"

"She was attacked by five unidentified ninjas, they didn't have forehead protectors and I have no idea what they were doing there. When I reached the scene they were all dead, and she didn't have a scratch on her. She looked like she was in shock when I found her, and she could barely walk because of the loss of chakra," he reported automatically. He was used to giving reports, after all it was a part of his job. Besides, he had allready told Godaime about it.

"We still don't know where she came from, she might be dangerous. Godaime sent you with her to figure out more about her," Kakashi said quietly.

"She preformed the mission perfectly with no suspicious behaviour and she was by my side the whole time."

"Look, Sasuke." Kakashi sighed. "I know you like her, we all do, but just be careful. She isn't from Konoha, and there is a possibility that it might all be an act. Don't let your guard down." Even as Kakashi said the words he knew it was a lost battle, Sasuke was too deep into it now. He knew that look, he also knew that nothing he said would change his mind. Honestly, he was just as emotionally attached to the blonde girl as Sasuke.

Sasuke knew Kakashi was right, he knew there was a risk in trusting her, he knew Godaime had kept a close eye on her from the beginning. He just found it hard to believe she could ever betray him. She wouldn't. He told himself. He knew her. At least he thought he did.

((Katsu POV))

1 Year Later

Katsu stroke a hand over her stomach thoughtfully. She had been in Konoha for a year now. It had taken a long time, but her friends and the people around her had learned to trust her. She was still with Sasuke, they had even moved in together 6 months ago. She had met the pink haired Sakura too, who had hated her in the beginning, but warmed up to her as time went by and they had become good friends. Everything was perfect.

She often trained with Team 7 when they weren't out on missions. And even won a couple of one on one combats now and then. She had slowly started to remember new jutsu's and with the help of Sasuke she had learned to control herself. She had no doubt that she had remember all the jutsu's now.

Yes, she had her memory back. No one in Konoha knew that though. It was the night of her 18th birthday, she was the onlyone who knew that though. Sasuke lay soundly asleep iin the bed as she dressed in all black. She was leaving, and she was taking Konoha's secrets with her, which she had already stolen with ease earlier that day.

She felt a pang of guilt and sadness as she moved to jump out the window of the apartment she shared with Sasuke. She knew though, if she didn't leave now she would never be able to. They were waiting for her, she had to go back to them. With one last look at Sasuke's sleeping face she turned around and jumped.

(Sasuke POV)

An alarm echoed through the village, waking Sasuke with a startle. It was early in the morning, the sun had just started to rise. He recognized the sound as the ANBU emergancy meeting alarm. He need to get moving. Leaning over to the side of the bed to tell Katsu he would soon be back, he suddenly froze. She wasn't there. He reached out and tried to sense her anywhere around. He couldn't sense anything. She was gone.

He hurriedly dressed in his ANBU uniform and put his mask on. Sonn he was at the meeting place, just in time for the briefing. Godaime herself stood before them, a look of distress on her face.

"Someone has stolen the scrolls of Konoha's most sacred and forbidden jutsu's, along with all other secret information," she told them, her voice firm. " We don't know who did it, there is no trail to follow or clues left behind. I want everyone to start searching, this is highest priority!"

"Hai!" They all said in unison and disappeared in different directions.

It was at this moment Sasuke realized what was going on, but he didn't want to believe it. Katsu had stolen the scrolls and she was on the run. No, it couldn't be true. Had Kakashi been right? Without thinking he went off on his own, picking up her trail quickly. It was stupid to go alone, but he was still in denial. It might be that she was in trouble, he tried to convince himself. Maybe the person who took the scrolls had also taken Katsu with him. He couldn't wholeheartly believe it was her.

((Katsu POV))

She had a long way to go still, it was at least a two days trip to where the hideout was. She had been running all night to get a good distance between her and Konoha. Now she leaned against a tree, nibling on a apple she had brought. She didn't know if she really wanted to go back to them. She had been happy in Konoha, they had treater her like a friend, and now she was betraying them. Well, it was too late now. They had probably discovered that the scrolls were missing by now. Besides, they would forget about her, just as her parents had.

She sat under the tree for hours, just thinking about what she should do, her face stone cold as she stared off into the distance. Her instincts kicked in gear as she sat there and she whispered "Daison-no-me" under her breath while doing the hand signs with one hand. A substitute eye was created by the dark substance that floated infront of her. The iris had a black star on it and it floated in mid air. She casually sent it back the way she had come and not before long she could see him. He wore his ANBU mask, but she knew it was him. He was fast, so he had realized what she had done.

She stood up flicking the second apple she had been nibling on aside. She took a leap and landed on a branch a not far from him. He didn't notice her before she had a kunai against his throath.

"Good morning, Sasuke-kun."


	6. The Reason

Chapter 5: The Reason

((Katsu POV))

"Good morning Sasuke-kun."

Her voice was as emotionless as her face. She stood straight on the branch with perfect balance. She was facing away from him, not wanting to see his face just yet. "I should have guessed you would figure it out first."

"Why?" Was the only word he managed to push forward, his face going completely blank. His shaking hands were the only thing that betrayed his true feelings at the moment.

"Give me more credit than that. It was all planned long before I even came to Konoha."

"It was all a lie?"

"No. I didn't remember anything that night Kakashi found me." He turned to face him. "Ever heard of the Kuroiji jutsu? It erases your memory completly, no traces left, until your memories return bit by bit. Those nightmares, the flashbacks, they were all real. As horrible as they are, they are still a part of me, of who I ham. I've been living with them alll mu life and I still feel the pain haunt me. It's my punishment for what I did, but I would have done it again if I had to." Her black eyes stared right through him, with no sign of the love she had so often shown him.

"I don't understand," he said, and with a quick movement he grabbed the arm she had her kunai in and twisted it towards her own neck. That was one advantage he had over her; physical strenght.

"Of course you don't."

She made no move to get loose of his grip, she knew he couldn't hurt her. He loved her. "What happened to you isn't half as bad as my own memories of my childhoos. Do you think you had it difficult? God, I wish it just had been so simple." She chuckled lightly. "When I was 10 I was kidnapped. I was the daughter of the Hoshikage and heir to the title. I was seen as a protégée, I was far more advanced then the other kids my age. When I was kidnapped I tried to escape, but they were too many, and it only made things worse."

"I never saw daylight. I was beaten often and hard. I was raped more times than you can imagine. You should think that memories like that get blurry with time, but they didn't. I can still remember the pain, the fear I felt. You could never imagine what I went though. They starved me half to death and when one day I was finally rescued I was found half dead. It wasn't anyone from my family, or even my own country that saved me, it was two travelers, missing-nins. They fed more for reasons I don't understand and let me go to find my way back. I was 11, a year had passed and no one was looking for me. It took me 4 more years to travel and locate the village."

With a smooth subtle move she twisted out of his grasp and let the kunai fall to the ground below. She slowly moved a few steps back before facing him again. Her face was suprisingly emotionless still.

"They didn't know me, they didn't know who I was," she continued. "When I saw my parents with my little brother of 4, he had been born a year after I was kidnapped, I went crazy. Sorrow and insanity isn't a good combination." She sat down on the branch, knowing perfectly well he wouldn't attack her as long as she continued her story. "They never found the one that killed my clan, all they found were the blackened mark scorched into their skin, shaped as a star. Kuro hoshi. Black star."

She studied him, seeing his eyes widen as he realized that the killer was none other than the woman he loved. She had done the same thing that his brother had done to his clan. Right now, it seemed like destiny after what happened next in her story.

"Afterwards I left and never returned. I tracked down the missing-nins and joined them, trained with them. It took some convincing of course, but in the end I was strong and a great weapon to them," she sighed. "Believe me, I live witht he consequences of what I did every waking moment of my life, I will never forget the pain my felt on the brink of death. The heart broken cry that escaped my mother as she collapsed at my feet, the silent confusion from my little brother as I let him die peacefully. It has made me who I am and showed me a new path. I'm stronger now because of it."

Sasuke had been standing there silently, listning to her every word with a look of disbelief. He couldn't even hide his shock anymore. She knew he didn't want to believe, he wanter her to be good. But, it was the truth and she couldn't run away from it, even though it was tempting to just forget and live happily, she couldn't.

"I got my all my memories back a few days ago. My partners are meeting me here, they should be her soon. I wouldn't recomment you fighting me on your own. I'm stronger than you. You failed to beat your brother and I'm stronger than him, even though I let him beat me up to get into Konoha."

She chuckled a little as she saw his mouth drop. "How did you think I even found Konoha? It's a hidden village. He showed me the way." She explained. "He might be weaker, but he is better at leading than I am."

"I'm flattered."

Katsu didn't need to turn around as she heard the icy voice behind her. She had already noticed him. "Don't be, Itachi. It doesn't mean you can beat me in combat."

"Don't be so cocky Kuro-chan, it'll be your death one day," Itachi told her calmly, he didn't look at Sasike once, it was as if he hadn't even noticed he was there yet. "Do you have it?"

Katsu knew the anger was starting to build up in Sasuke at the sight of his brother. "Of course. I had them all wrapped around my little finger even your little brother here. I must say he is a far better kisser than you Itachi, but then again, you've got the looks in the family," she grinned for the first time today. She had moved up into a standing position and was now by Itachi's side handing him the bag with the scrolls. "Where is fishface and Kei-chan?"

Itachi ignored her as he checked the bag to see if the scrolls were all there. Satisfied he moved his gaze to his little brother. "You've grown little brother. And you're ANBU now?" He looked at the mask that hung over Sasuke's shoulder. "Come on Kuro-chan, we're leaving. Kisame and Keitaro are waiting at the hideout," he told her without taking his eyes of Sasuke.

"I'm sorry Sasuke-kun, but me and Itachi are the same," she told him, her eyes only visible to him at the moment. There was a flicker of emotion for a second in them, sadness or maybe regret, it was gone as quick as it had appeared though. "I had fun." The grin was back on her face.

With less then a second she was standing should against shoulder with Sasuke. "I won't forget," she whispered in his ear, and her lips brushed his cheek almost affectionately. "Bye." With that she was gone, along with Itachi and the scrolls.

(Sasuke POV)

He couldn't move, all the strenght had left his body. There was something about the way she had talked to him just before leaving. The kiss. It had all been the Katsu he knew and loved, not the coldhearted woman who killed her family. He couldn't give up on her, he needed to get her back.

Gathering some strenght he turned around and headed back to Konoha, to report to Tsunade-sama about the scroll and Katsu. He would convince her that they needed to retrive the scrolls and Katsu, get her away from Akatsuki. He needed a team for that though. He had to rescue the woman he loved and kill the man who once was his brother.

When he got back to Konoha he told Godaime everything, except the last thing Katsu had said to him. It felt to personal for some reason. He convinced Godaime by reminding her that Naruto and Sakura had never given up when he had run off with Orochimaru.

After recounting everything that had happened Tsunade started to yell at him, then getting the sake bottle forth she had started drinking. He just stood there taking it all, not moving and remaining calm. Although, he didn't feel very calm.

Tsunade looked at him, studying him, with a cold stare. He was used to it though, she always got this way when she was thinking. "Shizune. Sakura!" She finally yelled after what seemed like an eternaty.

The door burst open and the two woman hurried into the room, both looking rather distressed. Sasuke took a moment to study Sakura. She had grown, but she still kept her hair short as she had ever since that day of the Chuunin exam. She gave him a warm smile, although her eyes told him that she was sad. The smile was different than what she used to give him when they were younger, it was a smile that good friends gave one another. Her childish crush had finally worn off.

"Hai, Tsunade-sama!" Both woman said as they stood side by side with Sasuke.

"Shizune, get all the ANBU back to Konoha, the search is over," Tsunade ordered firmly. Shizune was about to say something, but was cut off by Tsunade. "NOW!"

"Hai!" Shizune answered and hurried out of the room, not fazed by the harshness of her boss in the slightest, she was used to it.

"Sakura," Tsunade turned to the pink haired girl. "You and Sasuke will be forming a team each." The Godaime downed another shot of sake. "The mission is to retrive the stolen scrolls and Kurohoshi Katsu."

Sasuke and Sakura bowed slightly and left the room together. "Go find whoever you need and meet me at the gate in an hour," Sasuke turned to her when they were out of the room. "We need to move quickly, we don't know how long it will take to find their hideout."

Sasuke felt a wave of concern go through him as the two of them parted. He needed to bring Katsu back, he couldn't lose her. Damn his brother for taking everything he had ever loved from him!

((Katsu POV))

"Kei-chan!" Katsu yelled as she spotted her friend outside the cabin that they were using as the hideout for the time being. She ran over to the tall blonde man and into his arms, hugging him tightly.

"Kuro-chan! Good to have you back," he laughed and returned her hug. She could feel the familiar tingle inside her as his fingers touched her. He was using his chakra to search for injuries.

"Kei-chan!" She rebuked him and pushed him away. He put his hands up and gave her an innocent look.

"I was only trying to see of you had any injuries," he said defensivly, with a playful smile on his lips. "Kill me for caring about you Kuro-chan!"

"Watch it Keitaro," Itachi warned him as he he looked at the two of them.

"Ita-kun," Katsu sighed, rolling her eyes. He was too possessive of her. yasu Keitaro was her best friend, and appearently Itachi didn't like it that someone else was so close to her as Keitaro was. "Stop being a baby and tell Kisame to put on some tea, I'm thirsty," she told him with the same serious voice he had used to warn Keitaro.

Katsu was probably the only person who could order Itachi around without getting killed. She knew that Itachi didn't like it when she did it, but she also knew he would listen to her never the less.

Itachi disappeared into the cabin with a displeased "Hn." She hooked her arm into Keitaro's and they walked into the cabin together. Instead of joining the rest in the living room, they went to the room that Katsu was sharing with Itachi. She honestly didn't like the scars that were still on her body, they felt rough and alien to her, they always had.

"Itachi is going to kill you one day Kei-chan," she told him as she removed her shirt so he could remove the scars. "You need to stop provoking him."

"Come on Kuro-chan, I was just kidding around a little, he is too sensitiv," he complained as he put his hands to one of the bigger scars on her back. "He just have to deal with the fact that I'm your friend, who happens to have seen you naked as often as he has."

Katsu knew there was a grin on his lips as he said the last sentence. It was true that he had seen her naked often, but only to deal with her wounds. There was absolutly nothing physical going on between them. He was just a good friend. Keitaro had joined Akatsuki not long after herself, they had fast become good friends. He was an amazing medical ninja, and the onlyone in the group. They were partners because Katsu was a strong fighter and could fight alone, she just need him to heal her if something went a little wrong. Together they were indestructible.

"Kuro-chan..." Keitaro whispered, his voice betraying the shock he felt. He was still healing her, reaching into her with his chakra to check her organs to be on the safe side.

"What is it?" She asked and turned around to face him when she felt his chakra leave her body. He stood there with eyes wide, looking a little lost.

"Y-you'r pregnant."

(Sasuke POV)

Sasuke leaned against the stone wall that surrounded the village. He had just arrived and was waiting for his teammates, they would be there any minute now. Sakura was the first to join him, she was silent as she waited with him, they didn't even exchange a hello. Sasuke was too deep in thoughts to almost even notice her.

"Oy Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled as he came running towards them. Sasuke was surprised that he was one of the first to arrive, he wasn't exactly known for being precise.

"Naruto-kun, glad you made it." Sakura greeted him friendly, but she didn't seem to be able to even fake a smile. Everything had been heavy on her as well, she had started to really warm up to Katsu.

"Sasuke-kun. What is this mission?" Naruto suddenly turned serious as he turned to his friend. He hadn't been briefed yet, no one except Sakura and himself knew at this moment.

"I'll tell you when everyone gets her." He merely answered Naruto, looking of into the distance, not really looking at anything.

Within the next 5 minutes the rest of the team showed up. Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino, Hyuga Neji, Rock Lee, Aburame Shino, Sai, Akimichi Chouji, Inuzuka Kiba, and TenTen.

"Very well." Sasuke finally pushed himself away from the wall and faced the group with a serious expression. "As you all know some very important scrolls have been stolen and is now in the hands of Akatsuki. Our mission is to retrieve the scrolls. All we know right now is that there are for certain 3 members of Akatsuki at their hideout. We need to locate it and find the scrolls."

Sasuke explained everything almost mechanically. "We're splitting up in two teams. Naruto, Shikamaru, Sai, Kiba and Ino will come with me. Neji, Chouji, TenTen, Lee, and Shino will go with Sakura." He took a small pause, to just calm himself down, he was struggling with hiding his distress. They wouldn't tell them about Katsu yet. "Me and Sakura will keep in touch through microphones, it's the easiest way. Be careful everyone, remember we're dealing with Akatsuki. Move!"

"Hai!" Everyone answered in unison, even Naruto was acting serious about this. Everyone was gone within seconds, including Sasuke, who was in the lead of his group. The following days were going to be hard on him.


	7. I Belong to You

Chapter 6: I Belong to You

((Katsu POV))

"What?" Katsu whispered quietly.

"You're pregnant," Keitaro repeated again, slowly, he still couldn't believe it.

There was a long silence, then she sighed. "I know..." She looked up and met his eyes. As she looked his eyes became wider, if that was even possible. "I wasn't totally sure, but I think I knew deep down. How far along am I?"

"A little over 3 months," he answered, trying to recover from the shock. The child couldn't be Itachi's, she had been gone for a year after all. No, this was someone in Konoha's child. "Who's the father, Kuro-chan?" He asked her carefully.

She stared at him for what seemed like forever, somewhat reluctant to tell him. Finally she gave in with a nother deep sigh. "Uchiha Sasuke."

"What?" Keitaro couldn't believe what he was hearing. Uchiha Sasuke. Itachi's little brother. This was bad. "He is going to KILL you when he finds out Kuro-chan. He won't like this one bit."

Katsu nodded knowingly, remaining silent. She leaned forward and touched her head to his shoulder, tears unwillingly flowing forth and soft sobs escaping her lips. She didn't know if she was crying because of how Itachi would react, or because of the baby inside of her, or even because she had left Konoha and Sasuke behind. She just cried. Maybe it was all of the above. She felt Keitaro's arms wrap themselves around her, comforting her, gently running his fingers through her hair. He had never seen her cry before.

"Kuro-chan, there is one more thing..." He hesitated for a second. "You're carrying twins."

God, what was she going to do...

(Sasuke POV)

They had been moving nonstop for quite some time now, he could see his team starting to get slower and obviously exhausted from the running. He guessed it was about time to take a break, it was starting to get dark now and they should set up camp for the night. It wouldn't do to meet Akatsuki members with an exhausted team.

"We're making camp for tonight Sakura," he said into the microphone that was attached to his neck. It didn't take long before he got an answer.

"Alright Sasuke. We'll keep going a little further and make camp as well." she informed him. The other team was a little behind them and probably had a little more energy left then them.

"Understood," he confirmed and slowed his pace, making a complet stop at a sutiable location. The rest of the team followed his lead and stopped as well. He turned to face them, his breath a little heavy from the long run. "We'll make camp her for tonight and continue early tomorrow morning."

Everyone nodded and quickly went about to set up camp. It didn't take long, they were all used to it and none of them were beginners to this kind of thing.

Sasuke took the first watch and let his team rest. He sat by the fire he had got set up and looked up at the sky that was fulled with thousands of stars now. Why was this happening to him? He had been so happy. Why was he being punished every time he found a little happiness? He gave a deep sigh and turned his gaze to the forest around him.

"Where is Katsu-chan, Sasuke?"

He didn't bother turn around, he knew it was Naruto who had spoken, he could recognize that voice anywhere. Naruto sat down beside him, gazing off into the darkness.

He didn't answer Naruto's question, he honestly didn't know how to answer it. What was he supposed to sat? That she was a blood thirsty, cold blooded killer just like his brother, and a member of Akatsuki? It pained him to even just think about it, but he had to stay strong and not lose face. He knew she loved him, he had felt it. A year of happiness couldn't change it, it couldn't have been all an act. Katsu had said it herself, she didn't have any of her memories when they first had started dating. It wasn't an act, she had loved him. Which meant there was a high possibility she still did.

He didn't know if he could forgive her though, not yet at least. He felt betrayed by her, more than he had felt betrayed by his brother. But, only time could tell, he just knew he needed to get her back.

"Sasuke, please," Naruto begged. "I know there is something else to this mission. Katsu is always by your side. Where is she?" He sounded suprisingly serious and worried.

"She is gone Naruto," Sasuke finally managed to say, his voice clearly betraying his feelings of hurt and pain.

"Where?"

"She took the scroll, she is with Akatsuki, with my brother." It felt even worse to say it out loud, he felt as if he wanted to cry. He hid his face from his friend, knowing his feelings were clearly displayed on it. He hadn't cried yet, but his will power was starting to drain.

There was a long silence. Then Naruto spoke again. "She finally got her memory back, huh..." Naruto said, it wasn't really a question, more a statement. He knew it was true, so there was no need to answer him. "I don't know the whole story," Naruto continued carefully. "But I know Katsu-chan isn't evil, she can't be. A persons personality doesn't just change when someone loses their memory, the heart doesn't change."

"I know Naruto." Sasuke finally faced Naruto. "That's why we are bringing her back with us."

"That bastard Itachi!" Naruto growled. "What does he think he is doing taking Katsu-chan away from us, it's not fair."

[Naruto Flashback]

"Naruto-kun!"

Naruto turned to face the smiling girl as she closed in on him. "Katsu-chan!" He greeted her with a huge smile of his own.

"I heard it was Hinata-san's birthday today, have you picked out a gift yet?" She asked him eagerly.

"I was on my way to buy a gift right now…" He said, a little puzzled by her eager attitude, she was almost jumping up and down.

"Come with me!" She said as she grabbed his hand and dragged him with her before he could even answer. She made him run after her for a little while and then stopped in front of one of the tables in the marketplace. "Look" She grinned as she pointed at one of the necklaces laying on the table.

Naruto stared at the necklace. It had a silver chain and on the end was a beautiful carved sun out of silver with yellow and red stones in it, making him feel like it radiated of warmth like the real sun. It was beautiful, breath-taking really. "Katsu-chan! Hinata will love this!" He gave her a quick hug and then purchased the necklace without a hesitation.

"Anything for Hinata-san." Katsu grinned back at him.

[/Naruto Flashback]

"I swear I'll kill him for this!" Sasuke said coldly.

((Katsu POV))

She couldn't keep the pregnancy a secret forever, Itachi would notice sooner or later, she had allready started putting on some weight. Twins. She was having twins. She couldn't believe it. She pulled her feet up against her stomach, leaning her chin on her knees as she sat on the bed.

Keitaro had left her alone to think and figure things out. Now she just sat there, her tears were dried out. She had no idea how she would break it to Itachi. He would be severly pissed of, there was no doubt about that. She doubted he would kill her though, she doubted he ever could take her life. But, having his girlfriend pregnant with his little brothers twins was too much, she guessed. She had to tell him sooner or later, and sooner would probably be for the best.

She pushed herself off the bed and walked out of the room and into the living room where the three other men were gathered by the table having a meeting. She had changed her clothes earlier and was now wearing her usual clothing; a black skirt with splits on both sides, fishnet stockings that went to her knees the only thing that concealed her tanned skin, a black top that showed of her flat stomach, and a pair of standard sandals on her feet. Her long hair she had tied up into a high ponytail and all the scars that had been on her body was now gone, thanks to Keitaro.

"Hey fishface," she grinned as she spotted Kisame. "Long time no see."

"Kuro-chan," he returned her grin with a sharky smile. "Good to have you back with us."

She had been calling him fishface for as long as she could remember, it didn't seem to bother the large man that much. Kisame was really like a father to her, rather overprotective, but with a sometimes very entertaining sense of humor, however perverted it might be at times.

"Kei-chan..." She looked over at her friend, who gave her a swift nod in return.

"Come on Kisame-san." Keitaro turned his gaze to Kisame and stood up. "I need some help to practice a new jutsu."

"What?" Kisame said, annoyance plain in his voice. "Practice the damn jutsu by yourself. I have no wish to get paralyzed again with one of your damn jutsu's!"

"Alright then," Keitaro turned away and head towards the door. "The next time you have a bloody wound I'm not going to heal it for you, you can die for all I care." He said over his shoulder.

"W-wait you bastard!" Kisame yelled angrily. "What do you mean by that?" He stood up and hurried after Keitaro, flinging curse words in every direction.

When Kisame was finally out of hearing range Katsu moved to sit down beside Itachi. She slowly sipped the tea that Keitaro had made for her, it felt good. She knew he had probably put something in it that would be good for the babies in her womb.

"Itachi," she finally said, looking up at him. She never used his whole name unless she was being serious about something. "I've got something I need to tell you"

She gave a sudden quiet yelp as Itachi picked her up and put her down on his lap, facing him. "Can't it wait," he murmured as his lips trailed along her neck. She couldn't help but tilt her head to the side with a soft moan, he knew exactly what she liked.

Determined to tell him she snapped out of it and with a soft push of his upper body she got him to stop. "No!" She said stubbornly, recovering from the moment of weakness.

Itachi let out a groan. She knew he hadn't seen her in a year and was probably going through a pretty bad withrawal right about now, but she didn't care, this was important. Besides, he was probably not going to be in much of a mood after what she had to tell him.

"I don't know how to tell you this," she hesitated for a second, biting her lower lip. "I'm just going to come out and say it.. Itachi, I'm pregnant."

She watched anxiously as his face darkened, his dark eyes seemed to become more dangerous as he took in what she had said. Itachi wasn't much of a man to show emotions, he usually never lost control, but she knew he was about to do just that.

She felt a sharp sting on her cheek where his hand had made contact. He hit her so hard that she flew across the room, hitting the wall on the other side with a crash. Shielding her stomach from hitting anything, her back got all the damage. She coughed involunterily in pain and pushed herself back on her feet stubbornly.

"It's his isn't it?" Itachi demanded as he stood over her, his voice came out as a sneer.

"Yes," she answered, managing to hide the pain she felt. There was no use denying it. She couldn't afford showing any sign of weakness, so her voice was strong and her face hard. This was the only method she could use to subdue his anger, ti would only get worse if she showed any sign of weakness.

"I didn't mean for it to happen Itachi," she said calmly. "If you remember correctly you sent me into Konoha with no memories. I couldn't remember you or anyone else. You made sure of that when you preformed that jutsu on me!"

"Are you saying that this is my fault," he sneered angrily, but didn't make a move to hit her again. She knew he was calming down a little.

"No, that's not what I meant," she countered. "I'm saying that it wasn't planned and that I actually did fall for your brother. But I left them for you, because my loyalty belong to Akatsuki and you!" Her hands moved to wrap themselves around his neck, her fingers wrapping themselves in his black hair. "I'm yours. I've been yours since the day you saved me, I'll always be yours."

She pulled him down and touched her lips to his. There was no resistance on his part and she knew she had managed to calm him down. The danger was over. She was being honest, she did love him. He was her saviour.

He lifted her up in his strong arms without breaking the kiss and headed for the bedroom, they hadn't seen each other in a long time after all. She knew the kiss had triggered his arousal.

Later that night Katsu lay sideways on the bed, her hand stroked Itachi's naked chest as he lay beside her. She looked at him, while his eyes were fixed on the ceiling, obviously thinking about something.

"They'll be coming after us," she told him, breaking the silence. "We need to get moving. They'll either want to kill me or bring me back with them along with the scrolls. I won't be able to do any missions for a couple of months..."

A "Hn" was all she got from him. It was the usual respons she got from him when he didn't feel like saying much. But she knew he understood that they had to do something about it.

She sighed and pushed herself off the bed. Her slim, curved body was comepletely nakes, but she wasn't very shy about her body, it was just natural for her. She made her way to the closet and opened it. There was nothing in there. With some simple hand signs an extra compartment appeared out of nowhere. She opened it and found all her personal belongings and clothes inside it. She was the only one who knew how to open it, she didn't trust anyone with her stuff, not even her friends.

She got her ring out and put it on her right middle finger, it was the white tiger, her Akatsuki ring. She got her forehead protector out and put it on the table beside her; it had a star carved into it, with a line scratched through it like everyone else in the group.

Studying the forehead protector the memories of the day she had killed the clan came back. It was still a painful memory, it still poisoned her soul, but she bore it as punishment for what she did.

Feeling two hands wrapping themselves around her from behing, stroking her, she shiver in delight. She let him push her around to face him. He was just as naked as she was and she could feel his erection against her tigh. Itachi was maybe a cold emotionless man normally, but not in the bedroom.

She let him capture her lips in a long demanding kiss, his tongue exploring her mouth with greed. Her breathing got heavier, she felt the warmth rise in her body as he broke the kiss and put his lips to her ease he lifted her up and pushed her up against the wall.

As his erection entered her a moan escaped her lips. He went slow at first, but soon started thrusting faster and harder. Her hands were wrapped around his torso, her nails digging into his back as a shock of pleasure surged through her body. She heard him groan in pleasure as he came inside of her. Panting they just stood like that for a while, saviouring the feeling.

"They've picked up our trail," Katsu finally managed to say, her breath still heavy. "They''ll be here in a day." She looked up at him, concern plainly shown on her face. She couldn't face them yet, she needed more time.

"I love you," she whispered in his ear, and he answered her by drawing her into a passionate kiss.


	8. It's Been Awhile

A/N: So I'm probably a bit late with this, but thought I might make a disclaimer; none of the characters in Naruto belongs to me, the whole shinobi world of Naruto isn't mine either. Although the plot and the original characters are mine, so if you want to use them you have to ask.

Also, I know I'm not exactly following the right timeline of Naruto. But, it's my story so I've just mixed things up a little. If something is unclear don't be afraid to ask and I'll explain in either a Sidenote chapter or in an A/N. Also, I wouldn't mind some reviews so I know if people are actually reading, it will help me greatly to finish the story, knowing people are reading it. I don't mind constructive critizism and I'm aware I need a beta, so if you're interested leave me your email in a review. I'm working on finishing the story every day and I think I've planned out how to end it, i think. So expect updates regularly. Thanks for reading! One with the story:

**Chapter 7: It's Been Awhile**

(Sasuke POV)

Sasuke and his team were all crouched in hiding not far from the cabin. He could feel the weak chakra of two people inside the cabin. There was something wrong, the presence of them was to weak and they were only two. He also knew none of them were Katsu, he could recognize her chakra anywhere.

"Two unidentified shinobi inside," he reported to his team in a low voice. "We don't know if the scrolls are in there, and the shinobi's might be Akatsuki."

"Let's go!" Naruto exclaimed hurriedly, as always. He made to lung towards the little building, but was held back as Shikamaru took a hold of his shirt. "Sit down, idiot," he his overly excited comrade sternly.

Naruto plumped down on the ground, leg's crossed, with a displeased "humph".

"Neji saus the two are Akatsuki," Sakura reported through the microphone. She and her team were on the other side of the house, hiding as well. "They're on their way out, what's the plan?"

Sasuke sat in contemplation for a moment. "Shikamaru use your shadow to bind one of them, we need them alive to interregate." He ordered quietly. "Ino do a mind transfer into the weaker one. Naruto, use your clones to surround them. Sai and Kiba watch out for any surprise attacks that might come." He paused for a moment, letting them confirm they had heard him with a nod. Then spoke into the microphone. "Sakura, make Shino plant a female bug on one of them, we're planning to let them go afterwards. You and your team stay in the background, your back up. If something goes wrong you intervene."

"Hai," Sakura confirmed she had heard him. There was a short silence. "Sasuke," he heard her say through the microphone. "Be careful..." Her voice was no more than a whisper and filled with worry.

He was about to tell her not to worry, everything would be fine, but fell silent as he saw the two figures emerge from the cabin. He recognized one of them as Kisame, the other one he had never seen before. Akatsuki had been inactive for a long time now and this guy was no doubt a new member. But, where was Katsu and Itachi? He didn't like this.

He made a sign for his team to start. Within a matter of seconds they had executed the plan perfectly. Shikamaru was now struggling to keep Kisame binded in his shadow, while INo had entered the unknown man's mind and was in control of him. Naruto had his clones surrounding them, just in case, while Sasuke stood infront of the two Akatsuki, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Where are the scrolls?" He demanded coldly.

Kisame gave a throathy laugh, his hands were wrapped around his large sword, but he didn't move. He didn't seem worried or alarmed at all, as if he had expected them and was thorougly amused by the situation. This worried Sasuke even more.

"A girl has the scrolls," the unknown nin said. "He calls her Kuro-chan." They all knew it was Ino speaking through the nin's mouth, she was proding around in his mind and memories for answers.

"I sugguest you remove that bitch from Keitaro's head, boy," Kisame warned with a huge grin playing on his lips. "It won't be very pleasent."

"Tell me where she is!" Sasuke growled at the shark man, his rage was boiling inside him wanting to take over control. "Ino-"

"He's block-" Ino started to say but suddenly started to cough, then the body collapsed on the ground.

"Ino!" Kiba yelled as he kneeled by the girls body, shaking her shoulders. She was unconcious, but no doubt back in her own body. There was no respons though, although her breathing was steady, she didn't wake up. "Wake up!" Kiba yelled desperatly.

"Save your breath boy, she can't hear you." The bpdy of the man Kisame had referred to as Keitaro rose to it's feet, a grin across his face. "A rather stupid move I must say, letting that girl try to get into my head. I had to protect myself, of course. She is in a coma, I believe she won't wake up for at least a week or two." Keitaro explained as he brushed the dust of his cloak.

"Bastard!" Kiba growled and made ready to jump the man. His companion, Akamaru, was also growling flashing his teeth towards the blonde Akatsuki.

"Kiba!" Sasuke barked at him, making him freeze in his tracks. "Calm down!" He didn't take his eyes off the two Akatsuki members, trying to take his own advice and calm down. "Kisame, you bastard, tell me where she is!"

"With Itachi," The big man said casually. "On their way to meet up with the rest of the gang." He threw his head back and laughed when he saw the expression on Sasuke's face. "You've lost her kid."

"Now, if you excuse us, we have a meeting to get to as well," Keitaro said as he made a small bow. Before anyone could react the blonde man had preformed a serious of fast hand signs, drawn some blood from his finger, and they had both disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Damn," Sasuke gritted his teeth. "Where are they! NEJI!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, the anger filling him up, getting the better of him.

Sakura and her team came running from the forest towards them. Neji was scanning the area with his Byakugan almost franticly.

"They're gone," Neji told them, his voice betraying the same anger that Sasuke was feeling at the moment. "Can't see them anywhere."

"HOW THE HELL DID THEY GET AWAY!" Sasuke's angry voice boomed around them, startling them all. They had never seen him this angry before.

((Katsu POV))

Katsu glanced over at Itachi as they both ran, going from branch to branch. He was getting slower, she had realized. He had always been above average fast, but he was losing some of the speed he had once had. She had always been faster then him, but she could see he was straining himself to keep up in the pace they usual kept. His face was blank of course, but she knew. She could easily read his body language.

"Ita-kun..." Her voice was soft as she contemplated how to tread carefully. "Your eyes are failing you." It wasn't a question, but a statement. She was letting him know she knew.

She got no answer from him, he just continued running, not looking at her.

"I'm sorry Kei-chan couldn't heal them," she continued, knowing she wouldn't get an answer. "If we don't do something soon you're going to lose your eyesight."

There was a long silence as they continued to make their way towards the headquarter. "I know," Itachi finally answered her.

"I can help." She said firmly, and as she did she felt him come to a complet stop. She almost fell of the branch as she stopped as well. Luckily her balance was excellent and she twirled around to face him.

"What do you want in return?" He asked her seriously, his face emotionless as always.

"I want to give the twins over to Sasuke after they're born," she answered her voice firm and steady, refusing to cring under his dangerous black stare. "After that I'm all yours."

"Fine," he agreed shortly and they continued towards their destination.

A few hours later the two of them stood before a big mansion that was being used as the current headquarter for Akatsuki. It was a house that had belonged to Keitaro's grandparents. Katsu could already sense the other members inside, with an exception of Kisame and Keitaro who hadn't arrived yet.

Deidare stepped out of the front doors to greet them. He gave Katsu a chamring smile and held his arms out, inviting her for a hug. "Welcome back Kuro-chan," he said happily as she walked into his arms, returning the hug.

"Deidare-kun, good to se you," she smiled at him, her eyes traveling to the figure behind him as they parted from the hug. "Hey Sasori-san," she greeted the man.

"Nice to have you back, Kurohoshi-san," he greeted her back, as formal as ever.

"Where are the rest?" She asked Sasori as they made their way into the mansion. Kimi and Deisuke, two of the members, had been with Akatsuki a little longer than her. They had replaced two other guys, Hadan and Kakuzu, from what she had been told. It had been a great loss to their cause appearently, but not one they grieved.

"They're r-" Sasori started but was cut off by a squealing woman running towards them.

"Kuro-chan!" Kimi yelled happily. "You're back!" She threw herself at Katsu, almost making her lose her balance. "It's been so terrible here without you, you have no idea!" Kimi complained loudly, still hugging Katsu.

Kimi was a tall, dark haired beauty. She was from the Mist country just like Kisame, although she prefered that people didn't know it. She was the little sister of the late Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Hidden Mist. She was a sword fighter, the same as her brother, only her sword was a little more subtle and by far more deadly, just as she was. She bore no resemblens to her bigger brother what so ever, which she was very glad for.

"Hai, Kimi-chan," Katsu laughed. Kimi was a killer, yes, but she was also one of the easiest people to be around, when she wasn't mad that was. Last time Kisame had grabbed Kimi's ass he had almost lost his hand in the process. "I need to talk to you later..." She whispered in her friends ears, letting go of her.

Kimi looked at her quizingly, but nodded. "Later!" She repeated as she let Itachi drag her along with him, towards their room. He was a really unpatient guy.

"Let go of me," Katsu complained, trying to wriggle her way out of his grasp. "I'm not a dog you can just drag around!"

"I had a strong impression that you were a bitch, or am I wrong Kuro?" There was a small amount of amusememnt evident in his voice, but if you didn't know Itachi well you would never have registrered it.

"Che," Katsu rolled her eyes at him. "Look who's in a good mood," she teased with a dark tone in her voice. "You better be careful Itachi, I might decide to cut you off from getting anything tonight or any other night!"

"Ah, but there are always a long day before night," he responded without a second of hesitation, pissing her off slightly more.

"Please do shut up, Itachi dear," She said in a sugar sweet voice dripping with sarcasm. He was annoying her thourougly, she never liked it when he was in a good mood. He was always so much more willing to talk and it ruined everything when he opened his mouth.

Itachi merely chuckled. "Kisame and Keitaro will be here soon, and you need to think about what the hell you're going to tell Leader tomorrrow. You're on your own then, I can't protect you when it comes to him."

"Give me some credit, would you. I'm not a child anymore," She pushed her shoulder forward, making him lose his grip on her arm. "I can take care of myself, thank you very much," she said stubbornly, walking in front of him into the bedroom.

"Like you handled it 7 years ago when I found you half dead inside a closet?" He asked her flatly.

"Shut up," she growled. "I swear I'm going to cut that precious package of yours off in your sleep if you EVER mention that again." She warned him with a deadly glare, telling him she was not kidding.

"You're too sensitive," he murmured as he claimed her lips with his own. His kiss was rough and sensual, the way it always had been. When he pulled awat he only smirked and tossed his bag on the bed before leaving the room.

"Che," she muttered to herself. "Fucking bastard..."

(Sasuke POV)

After the complet failure of capturing the two Akatsuki, Sasuke had wanted to follow them by using the female bug Shino had planted on them, but they had gotten a summon from Godaime to return to the village. So he was now standing in her office, Godaime staring at him, her fingers entwined and toughtful eyes. She looked troubled.

"I've just got a warning from the Sand, saying the Sound is under a new leader and are starting to gather an army, they are no doubt planning to attack," she paused for a moment, trying to control her feelings and not start yelling in anger. "We cannot afford having such a large amount of valuable shinobi's out there tracking down Akatsuki. From the rapport you gave me it wouldn't be a surprise if it ended up taking up to a month tracking them down. Therefore I'm only sending a team of 4, headed by Kakashi, out. While calling back everyone else to prepare for a possible war."

"Understood," Sasuke nodded without hesitation. This was bad, they couldn't possibly retrieve the scrolls with only 5 people, but it seemed like he had no other choice. "Who's coming with me?" He directed the question at the others.

"I'm coming!" Naruto was the first to step forward.

"I refuse to take you," Sasuke shook his head. "Who else?"

"What?" Naruto yelled angrily.

"It's going to be dangerous Naruto. You have a new born baby to take care of, so there is no way I'm letting you come on a suicide mission," Sasuke scolded him harshly, looking away from him searching through the group. There was nothing more to discuss.

"I'll come," Sakura stepped forward. "Me too," Lee exclaimed as well and walked up to stand next to Sakurat. "How bothersome," Shikamaru muttered as he also stepped up to stand next to the other two.

"Very well, I will see if we can get some help from the Sand, they might be able to send some ANBU to assist," Tsunade said as she started to wave them off. "I believe Shino can tell you which direction to follow."


	9. What Hurts the Most

A/N: Things will be moving faster in the up coming chapters. From here on I don't have any pre written chapters, so I also need to think more about how to write it.. Because of that the updates will be a little slower, but I promise I will update and finish the story! Just to let you know, there will be only a couple more chapters until the last, maybe just 3 more and then I'll round it up and complete it. But the chapters will be longer from here on. Please review so I know someone is reading it, it will help get my motivation up to finish the story! If you don't understand something then just ask and I'll explain in a side note chapter or in an A/N. On with the story...

**Chapter 8: What Hurts the Most**

((Katsu POV))

In the middle of the room was a big statue formed as two hands reaching up in the air. Katsu was seated ontop of the right middle finger of one of the hands; one knee raised to her chest, the other dangling free in the air. They were all surrounded by a thin fog, concealing their faces, but not their shadows. She wore her Akatsuki attire like all of the rest. Every finger of the statue was occupied by members. Ever since Orochimaru were killed, they had been able to fill all the 10 spots.

Katsu thought back to last night, when she had told Kimi about everything and her plan. She knew Leader would not like the fact that she was pregnant, but she also had a leverage, he couldn't afford to kill her, she knew.

Shifting her eyes towards Kimi, she saw her friend give her a supporting nod through the fog. She would stand by Katsu no matter what, because they had a strong bond. They might be killers, but they still had the basic human emotions.

"Kurohoshi Kohana!"

Katsu turned her face towards Leader, who had just arrived. Kohana. Katsu groaned upon hearing her given name. She hated that name, it was weak, and she had abandoned it they day she had joined Akatsuki. Yet Leader seemed to like using it, to tell her he was superior to her, and that she better not defy him.

"Explain yourself," Leader said forcefully.

Without hesitation, in a strong and confident voice, Katsu threw herself into the explanation of how she had infiltrated Konoha and all that had happened during the year without memories. She told him straight out that she was pregnant, and that no one in Konoha knew this. She explained that she succesfully had retrieved the scrolls and there was no way in hell she was letting the twins in her womb get killed. After she was finished there was a long silence, no one moved or spoke. These news were a shock for some of the other members as well, as she had yet to tell them all about it.

"I'm sorry," Leader said after a while of silence. "I have no other choice than to dispose of you."

Katsu's laughter rang through the room, a smirk playing on her lips. "No Leader," She said in an amused voice. "I'm sorry. Because that won't be possible."

"First of all," she continued. "I have the scrolls and I'm not handing them over until after the twins are born. Second, you need me to keep the most valuable member of this group. Without me Itachi will be a blind useless fool within a year. I'm the onlyone who can help him." She showed no weakness in her voice as she spoke, her tone was dangerously confident. "I'm too valuable for you too just dispose off." She finished.

There was another long silence, she could feel the anger radiating from Leader, but she wasn't afraid, he had no choice in the matter. "You're walking a thin line, Kohana," he said calmly, his pride stopping him from screaming at her in anger. "Be aware that you will be punished for your insolence later." He warned her, before disappearing into thin air.

Katsu sighed as she got up. "Kimi-chan. You did what I asked you to?" She asked as her face turned to face her friend. The room was in complet silence, as no one wanted to speak; some out of shock and some because they were thinking trying to come to terms with the situation.

"Yes, Kuro-chan," Kimi answered without hesitating, making Katsu smile slightly. Kimi might be a petite woman, but she was strong willed and hard-boned, it seemed like few things could faze her. "Your things are packed and ready."

"Thank you, Kimi-chan," Katsu answered gratefully, wondering what she would have done without Kimi there to support her. "Kei-chan. Ita-kun. You guys better get packed in a hurry, you're coming with me. Fishface, you have to some too, seeing as Ita-kun is your partner and you'll most likely have to go on missions while we're away."

"Good with me," Kisame stated rather cheerfully. "As long as there is sake where we are going, I don't care."

"Great," Katsu rolled her eyes. Kisame really was a drunk. "I'll see you all soon enough then" She grinned and then she was gone the same way Leader had left, closely followed by the rest.

(Sasuke POV)

Shino had been able to point them in the right direction and now they were half a day away from Konoha, running at a fast pace. It was starting to get darker. Sasuke knew they had to stop soon and make camp, but he had a feeling that something were wrong and they had to hurry. He had to get her back, no matter what.

"Sasuke," Kakashi caught up with him. "We better make camp, we're all getting tired." Sasuke nodded at his former sensei and lead them all to a halt. They made camp fast and sat down to rest.

He was still surprised at how they still trusted him. When he had killed Orochimaru and returned to the village, they had all been suspicious towards him. It had taken a lot of time to regain the lost trust, but he had managed it after a couple of years.

They sat in complet silence, staring into the fire. No one wanted to speak. Everyone had some kind of memory, or bond towards Katsu. They all had a strong relationship to her.

[Sakura Flashback]

Sakura sat on top of the roof on her apartment, looking up on the starry sky. It was a clear night, the moon was full and lit up the village with a silver glow. She had only been back for a week and already much in her life had changed. Kurohoshi Katsu. The name of the girl who changed everything. Was it good or bad though? She honestly didn't know.

"Haruno-sama."

Sakura turned her head to see the girl of her thoughts standing right there beside her. She hadn't even heard her approach. Katsu was really strong. Was her thought at first.

"What are you doing her Kurohoshi-chan?" She asked her with a tired voice as she turned her head to look at the stars again. They were so peaceful.

"I wanted to talk to you…" Katsu replied honestly and sat down beside her, her gaze on the stars as well.

"Hmm." Sakura murmured softly not looking over at the girl.

"Hinata-san told me about you and your past. About your feelings for Sasuke" Katsu continued carefully in almost a whisper. "She told me some of it, but not the whole story." She paused for a long while. "I respect you Haruno-san."

Sakura turned her head to look at Katsu in surprise. She had never expected to hear those words coming from her. It took her some time to recover. "You know. I thought I loved Sasuke for a long time. When he left my heart broke." She paused for a little moment. "But I grew stronger, I had time to mend my heart. When he returned I went on mission, that lasted many times, for several months and avoided him as much as I could. I was afraid, I was afraid I still would have those feelings I had had as a kid. A week ago, when I saw his arms around you… Kissing you… I saw a smile on his face I had never seen before, I saw him happy." She put every effort into keeping the tears from flowing freely. "I wasn't jealous, I wasn't angry or sad… I was happy, I was happy to see him so happy. I didn't understand that then, but I do now. Yes, we've been through a lot, but our love is nothing more than what a brother and sister would feel for each other."

She could see a small smile form on Katsu's lips. "Thank you Haruno-san."

"Call me Sakura." She told her and gave her a smile and stood up. "Just don't hurt him Katsu-chan." She told her before she disappeared into the darkness.

That night had changed everything between Katsu and Sakura and they had become good friends after that. Both just wanting the best for Sasuke, both loving him in their own way.

[/Sakura Flashback]

"I miss her…" Sakura finally broke the silence.

"I know, Sakura." Sasuke responded softly and kept staring at the flames in front of him.

((Katsu POV))

They had been traveling for a week now, and finally they had arrived to their destination. They were staying in a mansion once owned by Katsu's father, the Hoshikage. The small clan village was destroyed, but the main building stood intact. It was a ghost town now, no one ever came there, the stench of death still lingered in the air.

"We're staying here?" Kisame asked, one eyebrow arched, as he looked around the village. "It's a bloody ghost town!"

"Bloody would be right, but ghosts?" Katsu chuckled. "Are you afraid Fishface?" She gave him a light punch in the shoulder. "This place is deserted, no one comes here anymore, and there is a big training ground in the back yard of the mansion big enough for me to help Ita-kun there."

"Hn." itachi groanded, obviously bored. Katsu was aware of the fact that he didn't like this. More than that, he didn't like that he didn't have a choice in the matter.

"Well, Kuro-chan is right," sighed Keitaro. "At least no one will find us here. It's going to be a long year though..."

"Complain as much as you like, it's not going to help," Katsu shrugged. "Besides, Kei-chan, Kimi-chan is joining us in a week. She's just foing me a favor first." She gave him a small push with her shoulder, teasing him.

She knew without looking that Keitaro was smiling. He was in love with Kimi and had been for a long time, but was to afraid to tell her. This might be their chance to finally get together, if Keitaro summoned up some courage that was.

"Come on Ita-kun, we'll start training right away," she said as she turned to look at him. He looked as if he was deep in though, but she knew better, he usually did that when he didn't want to talk.

"Alright," Keitaro said. "Me and Kisame will get this place back into living condition." He nodded for Kisame to follow him into the mansion.

"I'm no bloody cleaning lady!" Kisame groaned. "Why do I have to do this?" He sounded like a spoiled brat when he complained like that.

"Come on you idiot!" Keitaro just growled in respons to his complaining. He entered the building, while Kisame trailed behind him, sulking, and taking his time.

Katsu lead Itachi to the back of the house where there was a huge open field. Further down there was a forest that seemed especially grown for training.

"You know about my Kurohoshi-no-jutsu, right?" She asked him, not getting a respons she just continued. "You'll be surrounded by complet darkness. I'm going to cut off sound, sight and smell. First we'll go on how good you are at noting touch. Just fight me." She warned him before preforming the hand signed. She winked at him, then they were both surrounded by total darkness.

She had the Black Star Eye, which meant darkness was no hindrance to her. She could see him outlined in the darkness, as if he was surrounded by light. She also had total control of the senses while inside the blackness. She decided when she wanted him to hear, smell, feel or see. It was a special jutsu, only known to a few selected people in the Kurohoshi clan. It was also very straining and advanced.

"Itachi!" She barked. "Stop moving!" Her voice was sharp and final. He was turning around in circle, a human instinct to find light. Katsu also knew he was afraid, he had been relaying on his sharingan for far too long. He probably felt rather defensless right about now, but he listened to her voice and calmed down.

"Turn off the Sharingan." She ordered when he calmed down, she could still see his red eyes. "It won't help you here. Let your instinct guide you and feel for a touch or breeze to predict my movements." She instructed him and he did what he was told. He might have a lot of pride and be stubborn as hell, but he was far from stupid.

"Fight me!" She growled as she started moving. To be honest, in this situation she could have killed him at least 20 different ways, he didn't have many openings, but she was in total control of the situation.

She started with just approaching him, when he felt her and moved towards her she would withdraw, then to it all over again. He needed to get control over his body before they actually started fighting. After doing that for a couple of minutes she decided it was time to challenge him a little.

She clenched her first and aimed for his stomach. He wouldn't be able to dodge it, not in his current state, but that wasn't what she was going for. She wanted to see if he could block it. He had expected the attack and she felt his hand clench over hers, inches away from his bosy. "Too easy," he murmured as she pushed herself away from him, twisting her hand out of his grip.

"Just evaluating how good you are without your precious Sharingan," She grinned, although he couldn't see it. "I had at least 8 different openings to take you down, even when you stopped my attack. Don't underestimate me Itachi."

They continued the fighting until it became dark outside, only then was she satisfied with his progress. He was a fast learner, she had to give him that, but he was still far from able to protect himself without his eyes.

"God..." Katsu groaned as she entered the living room; Kisame lay spread out on the floor unconcious, bottles of sake strewn around him. Keitaro had obviously allready gone to bed.

"Kohana," Itachi turned to face her. He had removed his Akatsuki cloack and was only wearing pants and a tight t-shirt. His black hair fell into his face, soaked with sweat. He looked good when he was exhausted, sexy even.

"Don't call me that," She told him, her voice slightly tinted with annoyance. She really hated that name.

"Then you want me to call you Katsu?" He walked over to her, putting a hand under her chin, pushing her head up to look at him. He had a look that she hadn't seen in a long time, a look he gave her the first time he said he loved her. Guilt swelled up inside of her upon seeing it.

"Yeah," She answered reluctantly, somehow feeling she had betrayed him. She tried to look away, but he was too strong and wouldn't let her. Once she had had such strong feelings towards him, now she didn't know anymore. She loved him yes, but she also felt love towards his little brother. How could she love two men at the same time? It wasn't right, she felt as if she was betraying both of them.

"Itachi-" She started to whispered but was stopped as his lips softly covered her own. It wasn't a rough kiss, like the ones she was used to getting from him, but a soft kiss of love and compassion.

His hands slipped around her waist as he pulled her closer, his tongue tracing her lower lip seaking entrance. She willingly opened her mouth to let him enter. She was almost in a trance, her body wouldn't move, she couldn't think, she just felt weak in his arms. How did he manage to make her feel this way?

When they broke the kiss they just stood there staring at each other. To be honest, she had never seen this side of him before. It made her wonder. Maybe she had made the right decision, maybe it was best to stay with him.

"I've lost a part of your heart," he said calmly, not taking his eyes off her. "I know that. But, I need you. I need you to stay with me. You're everything I have left, I should never have let you go to Konoha..." The sadness in his voice came as a shock, he had rendered her speechless.

What was she supposed to say? She was carrying Sasuke's children, but she still loved Itachi. A part of her heart did also belong to Sasuke. Her hands moved to touch his face gently. "I'm not going anywhere," she finally said, moving her hands behind his neck she pulled him down into another kiss.

(Sasuke POV)

"We're leaving," Sasuke ordered everyone. It was dawn and they had a long way still to go. He had a feeling of dread inside him, that it was allready to late, but he couldn't give up. Just like his friends had never given up when coming to get him after he had sought out Orochimaru.

They were off in a hurry again. Sasuke took a moment to study his former sensei. Kakashi looked distraught, a feeling he never had seen him show before. He understood his feelings though. Kakashi and Katsu had been close, he knew Katsu was important to the older man. But, what he was thinking right about now, Sasuke couldn't even guess. It must be like losing a child, a feeling he could not yet understand.

Concentrating back on where he was running he felt like sighing. It would take them at least 3 weeks to find Katsu. He still had trouble controlling the turmoil of emotions inside him. Was this how Sakura and Naruto had felt when he left Konoha? If so, he couldn't understand how they got the strenght to continue trying to get him back.

((Katsu POV))

Itachi had practically been ignoring her all week, deep in his own thoughts to even notice her. Morning and night they would train together, but when they weren't training he was no where to be found. A bump had started forming on her usually flat stomach, the proff of her betrayel so knew seeing her stomach grow was painful for Itachi, she was everything to him. That only made her feel worse.

She felt immensly guilty, and she wanted to comfort him, say something that would make him feel better. But what could she say? There wasn't any words created that would lessen his pain.

"Kuro-chan," Keitaro approached her as she entered the house after a training session with Itachi. "Let me restore your energy." She was breathing heavily from the fight, she was using more and more chakra as he got better at the fighting and it was taking its toll on her.

"Don't touch me," she warned him coldly, her eyes gleaming dangerously in the light.

She was still pumped up from the fighting and severly agitated. Itachi's pain and the pregnancy only made her worse. Keitaro knew well enough to back off when she was like this.

"Where is Itachi?" He asked her carefully, backing away from her as she made her way past him.

"How the hell should I know?" She sneered and sat down at the table, crossing her arms in front of her.

"Here you go, Kuro-chan." Kisame grinned as he pushed a bottle of sake her way. She took the bottle without thinking and gulped it all down before slamming it back on the table.

"Kuro-chan. Why did you do that?" Keitaro sighed as he approached her still figure. She had calmed down a little. "You need to be careful. The twins..." He touched her shoulder and slowly extracted the alcohol from her system. It was easy enough for him, he done it many times before. Katsu had always been a drinker, she could even compete with Kisame from a young age.

Katsu didn't move as she felt Keitaro remove the alcohol and restore her lost energy in the process. She was thinking, collecting her thoughts, trying to make sense of her feelings. The whole situation was taking a mental strain on her, being there, being away from Sasuke. She knew she would never experience the happiness of a life with Sasuke again. It was over, yet she couldn't stop loving him.


End file.
